The Destruction of Atlantis
by Amber Evans Potter
Summary: Author's Note. Two stories in one. The new Priestess of Atlantis slowly starts to fall in love with the new king and wishes harm upon anyone who tries to take him away from her. Hitomi starts to have visions of the last days of Atlantis. Chapter 9!
1. The New Priestess

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The New Priestess  
  
***Atlantis***  
  
I was always alone.  
  
From the moment that I was born I knew that I was destined to never have the comfort of any living creature. Mother never held me longer than it took for her to breast feed me but after her duty as a mother was complete she would leave me in my crib to simply stare at her as she welcomed dinner guests or combed her long, vibrant brown hair so like my own. Oh, how I hated my mother. I even cropped my hair short to stop reminding myself of her beauty and charm. The other women would watch me with poorly concealed suspicion and whisper that I was far too quiet for a child and that my eyes haunted them. Most of mother's friends preferred to keep me in my own room and speak of things that didn't frighten them so much. My mother feared me quite a bit and made sure to keep me away from the room when father was home. I only remember his deep green eyes, identical to my own. He knew what I would become one day and so he never saw me again.  
  
I suppose he never wanted to grow attached to me.  
  
Soon my wishes began to come true in a way forbidden to the people of Atlantis. If I were to grow hungry, my mother would be forced into the room from whatever she had been doing. Either she would do it unintentionally or she would suddenly appear in my room after a beam of transportation light took her to me. She gladly thrusted me into the King's company and he, in turn, sent me to the Priest. I saw the little Prince peeking from behind his mother's skirts, watching me with quiet curiosity.  
  
The Priest of Atlantis was a stooped old man with a vacant expression in his blue eyes. I barely remember anything but his wizened old face with that toothless smile and knowing expression. The moment that he stared into my own eyes, he died. Right there in front of me, he suddenly collapsed to the floor. I can still remember those eyes passing on the secrets of Atlantis, filling me with the responsibilities of this country. Every Priest or Priestess dies at the sight of the person destined to take their predecessor's place. Priests and Priestesses are like water: used without thought and discarded with no thought of the person's dignity. We are tools. We are nothing but a means to channeling the awesome power of Atlantis.  
  
I had become the new Priestess of Atlantis; and the last.  
  
Author's Note: ah, well, I've been needing to begin an Escaflowne fic for quite a while. Enjoy. 


	2. The Old Visions

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The Old Visions  
  
***Japan***  
  
Hitomi looked out of the window with a slightly glazed expression on her face as her math teacher droned on and on about the newest equation they were learning. It was unfortunate that she wasn't paying attention because in twenty-four hours she would be sitting in the middle of an exam wishing that she had been paying more attention. But at that moment she couldn't have cared if the man was talking about the end of the world, she simply couldn't keep her focus.  
  
As she watched a sparrow fly by, she became sickeningly homesick for Van. She clapped her hands to her chest to still her aching heart and clenched her eyes at the onslaught of emotions she felt. The fact that he wasn't there with her, protecting her, smiling at her, loving her, all of those things hurt her. His feelings for her were a thin thread leading out of her heart and up into the planet Gaea when they should have been a constant bubble of pure happiness around her entire body.  
  
Hitomi felt for her pendant and felt that same mindless terror that she always felt when she realized that she didn't have it anymore and, worse, knew it was with Van. That line of thinking made her long for Van even more. She wanted to be in the warmth of his arms, feel the beating of his heart, hearing him whisper how much he loved her into her ear. She wanted to see the day he'd finally get the courage to kiss her.  
  
Van was far too busy rebuilding Fanelia to really speak to Hitomi whenever she wanted. If he knew how she felt at the moment, Hitomi didn't doubt he would probably drop everything and fly to Earth just to see her and make sure she was all right. He loved her with all of his soul and Hitomi saw it every time he looked at her. Unfortunately, she had a very wild and over-active imagination and kept imagining some other woman coming along and stealing his affections.  
  
If that happened, if some slut came along and stole her Van she would . . . she was sure she would . . . just then everyone in the room screamed when lightening crashed right beside the window and the world outside fell completely dark. Hitomi stared out in amazement as the weather immediately relaxed the minute that her anger and jealousy ebbed away. Their teacher muttered something about the weatherman having reported clear skies for the next week.  
  
Hitomi felt for her pendant again and sighed when she, again, realized that she didn't have it. Still, thinking about Van made her long to see him again. Closing her eyes, she allowed her thoughts to slowly vanish as the class buzzed excitedly about the sudden appearance and disappearance of the thunder. Hitomi kept her eyes perfectly closed and breathed softly, completely cutting herself off from the rest of the world.  
  
Her pendant flashed into her mental vision and she opened her eyes to find herself sitting in the middle of a meadow surrounded by wild flowers, trees and Van's smell. Hitomi smiled and lay on her back, staring up at the wonderful blue sky high above her. Just when she was sure she was going to drift off to sleep in this wonderful haven she heard a soft rustling beside her. Sitting up, her entire face lit up when she recognized Van.  
  
He sat beside her, muscles growing taut and then relaxing as he smiled at her with that dazzling smile she had loved the minute she'd seen it. His wind-tossed raven hair was ruffled from some sort of activity and it took every ounce of willpower that Hitomi possessed not to pounce on him, he looked so delectable. Van pulled her into a tight embrace, somehow managing to get Hitomi into his lap while still keeping that perfectly innocent look. Still, Hitomi was sure she'd seen a gleam of sly triumph in his eyes.  
  
"What's wrong Hitomi?" He whispered into her ear. She trembled at the wonderful, dream-like sound of his voice. Everything around her took on a yellowish haze of tranquil comfort. She felt as if she never wanted to leave this place, never wanted to be out of Van's arms ever again.  
  
"I miss you." She confessed, turning her head towards him. Van seemed a bit surprised but then his face lit up with delight.  
  
"You did?" He leaned forward and shyly kissed her cheek. "I missed you too." Hitomi burrowed closer to Van, wishing that she really could stay there for the rest of her life and never have to wake up again. "Hitomi?" She blinked several times and looked up at him.  
  
"Yes Van?" He stared into her eyes with an expression he only used when he had something important in mind that he didn't want to talk about for fear that Hitomi might get upset. She knew that look because he had used it many times when he had tried to save her from emotional pain because of Allen. That look made her yearn for his real touch, not just his mental connection with her.  
  
"Have you been having strange visions lately?" Hitomi immediately snapped out of her dazed, romantic train of thought. She tilted her head curiously.  
  
"Well, not visions exactly. More like odd dreams." She confessed. She would have asked Van how he had known about them but he spoke before she had a chance to open her mouth.  
  
"I've seen very strange things for quite a while, ever since you returned to the Mystic Moon actually. Have you been seeing anything strange?" Hitomi nodded, feeling dread build up in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Yes, I have been. Do you have any idea what might be going on?" Van shook his head helplessly as he began to fade. "Van? No, wait, please don't go yet!"  
  
"Hitomi, all I can say before I go is that the people I've seen in my dreams had wings." With that last statement he completely vanished and Hitomi opened her eyes weakly to find herself in the middle of her math class once again. Yukari nudged her foot under her desk and Hitomi realized that her best friend had been doing that for quite a while since her ankle was red and sore from constant prodding.  
  
"Hitomi, are you okay?" She whispered out of the corner of her mouth when their teacher's prying eyes returned to the board. Hitomi nodded distractedly, putting a hand to her chest again and searching in vain for her pendant. Strangely, she felt as if the pendant was there and merely hidden somewhere within the folds of her shirts. Deciding to put a hand to her heart instead, Hitomi wondered if maybe she was desperate enough to consult her Tarot Cards. No doubt whatever was happening to her could be answered through them.  
  
She was only afraid that she might bring about another calamity akin to the Destiny War.  
  
Author's Note: I'll be alternating between the past and the present for each chapter. Thank you all for the lovely reviews! 


	3. The New King

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The New King  
  
***Atlantis***  
  
The coronation for the new king was one of the few fond memories I had during my time as the High Priestess of Atlantis. The young prince I had seen, the boy I had grown up with since moving into the palace, was taking his rightful place as king after the death of his father. The old king had been sick for a long time and the previous Priest had not been able to fully heal him since his illness returned as often as it was healed. The queen had stepped down from her position after a month of mourning and the young prince had been shoved in the direction of the crown with such invisible force that there were rumors circulating about whether the son had been the one to poison his father in order to obtain the throne. I knew that the prince could never do such a thing and I was quick to shield all ill wishes towards the new king. As I watched him in his regal robes walking towards me with his head held high, visions ran through my mind of the days that had gone by. Our childhood together had been quiet but wonderful.  
  
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At the age of eleven I had been concentrating on holding back a coming tidal wave off the Eastern coast when I heard laughter right beside my body. I opened my eyes from my deep meditation to find the young prince giggling as he passed his hand under my staff, watching as the feathers turned various colors. I watched him in shock, wondering why I hadn't seen him in one of my visions or been informed that he would be coming to me for whatever reason.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked quietly. He jumped and stared at me for a long moment before smiling impishly. My cold gaze didn't daunt him in the slightest.  
  
"You never woke up before, I'm sorry. I just like playing with the colorful feathers!" The prince giggled as he ran his fingers across the feathers again. I stared at him in amazement. I had never seen anyone smiling at me before and since then no one has ever smiled at me and truly meant it. No one, that is, except the prince who would become king.  
  
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Yet another vision invaded my senses as I recited the runes of protection and prosperity. I remembered a time when the prince had to remain in my company for hours learning about the history of Atlantis. All nobility had to learn about the kings long gone from the Priest or Priestess at the time though the King and Queen were rather hesitant to leave their fifteen-year-old son with a fourteen-year-old priestess they (and everyone else) barely knew.  
  
"Priestess, why did the kings marry women from noble houses to make political alliances? Why didn't they marry for love?" I looked at him curiously, loosing the emotionless mask that I always wore when I was around anyone else. With the prince I had always felt that I could be myself because he knew what it was like to hide his emotions from the prying eyes of others. I put the Ancient Scrolls I had been reading from onto the floor beside my leg, turning to look at him. Well, how was I to explain this when I myself wasn't too fond of arranged marriages for political reasons?  
  
"Well, sometimes there are agreements that can't be solved by negotiations and when war is impending, kings and queens must make life- altering decisions for the sake of the people. With marriage, certain families can come into power and prevent bloodshed and that sustains the happiness of the people. That's the only important goal in the end, I suppose. The happiness of the people is the sole goal of our ranks in society. If you can keep yourself happy as well than you are a lucky ruler to get exactly what you want. I've found that most people don't know what it is that they wish for and, when they get what they think they deserve, they are unhappy. They find they no longer want what they have."  
  
"So what you're saying is . . . I might never find the person I'm destined to be with because my duties as a king might make marrying for the good of Atlantis interfere with my love life?" I gave him a sardonic smirk.  
  
"Yes, that's it exactly. Of course, the person you might think you're in love with might not actually be the person that you love. Sometimes you become infatuated with one thing and you drown yourself so completely in that thought or person that you push everything else aside. And if, for whatever reason, you get what you want, by that time you might realize that the person or thought wasn't really what you wanted in the end."  
  
"But then you're stuck with your decision." The prince concluded triumphantly. I nodded slowly, allowing a meek smile to grace my lips. "But you can't marry right? You're supposed to remain a virgin or you'll loose your powers?" I stiffened and looked away, wondering if I should tell him the ancient secret. With another glance at his curious face I forced myself to remain quiet. I couldn't tell him.  
  
I couldn't tell him that the Ancient Priests of the ancient times had ordained that a Priest or Priestess who was tainted was far too powerful to exist and thus had begun a powerful legend that clearly stated that all Priests and Priestesses had to be virgins to retain their power. The magical being, in turn, was forced to bear the burden of knowing that their power could only increase with such intimacy but were forced to pretend that the legend was true. Even knowing all of this and being rebellious deep within my soul, I couldn't tell the prince. I couldn't bring myself to wonder what he could possibly do with such information.  
  
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I suddenly found myself back in the present day, resting my staff on both of the new king's shoulders briefly before closing my eyes and whispering words of protection over his head. I found my voice to be more powerful than usual, gently tugging at the new king's soul, binding him to my watchful eye, making him a part of me. As he stood and moved to ritualistically embrace me, the final binding of the spell, he pressed against me with such warmth that I felt my voice catch and my eyes clench. I could feel his warm breathe on my ear, the gentle brushing of his lips against my temple before he stood back as if nothing had happened.  
  
Quickly, I completed the spell and excused myself. I was lucky that I had the excuse of returning to my prayers because if I had been anyone else, to excuse oneself without the king's permission was a serious lack of respect. The king could even take it as a sign of defiance and have that person challenged either to a duel of the king's choice or punishment. Instead I hurried to my chambers and sat down quickly on my cot, panting and flushed. At first I didn't understand why a simple touch from my king had made me so flustered but then visions began to seep into my mind so subtly that I didn't even consider them visions until later.  
  
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I rode on a horse, my king following behind me until he stopped in my path, laughing as my horse came to a stop. When I looked up into his warm eyes, he leaned down and promptly kissing me on the lips, sliding a hand out to grab my waist. The horses tried to shy away from each other, neighing in protest but he wouldn't let go of me. He suddenly became desperate and pulled me off my horse and into his lap, gripping my hips firmly. I didn't quite understand why I was kissing him back, wrapping my arms around his neck. At first I thought I was simply too surprised to do anything else but when my king's hands began to slide up the front of my shirt, I was shocked awake and back into my own body.  
  
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I touched my cheeks, eyes widening at the heat I could feel in them. My stomach made a strange fluttering sensation and I felt the need to feel his hands on me again. I quickly dispelled those thoughts and returned to my prayers, forcing myself to concentrate solely on making the country which my king ruled as perfect as I possibly could. However, deep within me I felt a small, desperate voice wishing for my vision to come true. I wanted him to hold me like that, to pull me off a horse and kiss me so desperately that I could feel my cheeks burning even as I created protection charms around the city as I did as often as I could.  
  
Author's Note: Well, I don't think it was very nice of me to keep this chapter from you guys for so long. Anyway, I hope everyone likes the story so far. I'll try writing another chapter since I feel so inspired right now. Review please! 


	4. The Old Wishes

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The Old Wishes  
  
***Japan***  
  
Hitomi woke up with a start, panting slightly from the strange dream she'd just had. Rubbing her forehead, she tried to recall exactly what had happened in it but all she could recall was the hiss of fire by her ear and the soothing beat of wings. Trying to sit up, Hitomi was surprised to find herself in the nurse's office, the tick of the clock overhead having woken her. Looking around, Hitomi remembered how it was that she had come to be here. Several things clicked at once inside of her sluggish mind and she gradually woke and grew more alert, slightly tensing her muscles as if expecting some great calamity or event to happen that would require her on her guard.  
  
During her gym class she had been shocked with an onslaught of memories filled with fire and death, suffocating her to the point that she could no longer breathe or even move without smelling singed flesh or hear the shrieks of people in agony. She was sure she had died at some point in her dream because Van suddenly appeared by her side and hugged her so tightly that she felt his heightened heartbeat within her very soul. Now that she realized she was still alive, Hitomi wondered how in the world it was possible for her to be having visions again, especially since she had neither her cards nor her pendent.  
  
Was another Fate War approaching? Would Van and the others in Gaea be forced to fight all over again to protect the people they ruled? Would someone else that she loved die? If anything ever happened to Van, Hitomi didn't even know what she would do. One thought kept brushing past her mind, making her shudder though she knew it was the truth. If Van died, she would die. Whether fate would manifest a neat little car accident or if Hitomi would be driven to suicide, she knew that there was no way she could live without Van. With a start she realized that she would have the same reaction as Van's mother had when her husband had died and her second son had been deemed in the land of the dead.  
  
"Kanzaki, go on and get out of here." The nurse said when she walked back into the room. She seemed to be angry about something or other. "Hurry up, the vice principle has forbidden any students that are not bleeding to death or in a coma to be in my office during this class period." Hitomi immediately leapt to her feet and rushed out of the room with a thoughtful expression on her face. Much as she would have rather stayed to think about her dream and the visions she'd had, the threat of having her vice principle send a spy into the nurse's office to expel her was enough to make her move quickly towards the doors.  
  
Walking back outside to her class, she was surprised to find that there was ten minutes of class left. She could have sworn that she had been unconscious for at least several hours but according to the look on Yukari's face she had merely been gone for a little while. The teacher blew her whistle angrily and yelled for Hitomi to get ready to race. Hitomi quickly moved into position to keep the rather loud teacher from yelling into her ear. Taking several deep breathes and slowly closing her eyes, Hitomi remembered something Amano had told her so long ago, in fact, the day before she had been swept away to Gaea for the first time.  
  
"Focus everything." She whispered under her breathe. What was her everything? That was an easy answer. Her everything was Van. Think of Van. Focus on Van. Pretend Van is waiting for you at the end of the finish line. Everything seemed to slow down and Hitomi crouched down, visualizing Van waiting for her behind the finish line. She forced herself to believe he was really there and longing sprang up in her chest. She barely realized that the signal to go had been made because she shot forward with all of her soul. She could hear sharp gasps around her as she sped easily ahead of the other girls and dashed with all that she had towards Van. He looked surprised at first but then his eyes glowed with joy and he held out his arms happily.  
  
"Hitomi!" Funny, she could even hear him say her name. She didn't think about it as she leapt into his arms, expecting to go right through him but instead she collided with a warm chest and strong arms wrapped themselves firmly around her. Hitomi was shocked to smell Van's heavenly scent and she slowly looked up to find his adorable brown eyes staring down at her lovingly. "What a greeting Hitomi, I think you broke one of my ribs." He said teasingly.  
  
"V-Van!" Hitomi choked out, gaping at him and disbelievingly running a hand along his cheek. "You're really here! I mean, you're not just a vision are you?" Van laughed, not loosening his grip around her waist, if anything, tightening it ever so slightly.  
  
"Do I look like a vision Hitomi?" He hesitantly leaned forward and brushed his lips against her ear. "Do I feel like a vision?" Hitomi shuddered at the feeling and opened her mouth to reply but he vanished almost instantly. It took a few seconds for Hitomi to realize that the Van she had just seen actually HAD been a vision. She KNEW the real Van would never be bold enough to kiss her ear like that, no matter how much he prayed he would. And much more. So much more.  
  
~God I wish Van knew how much he means to me~ she whispered in the secrecy of her own mind. Yukari made to pounce on her, most likely to mention to Hitomi that she had finished the race in twelve seconds but something happened that stopped her in her tracks. It was something that made everyone stare at Hitomi in shock.  
  
Hitomi began to shake and her eyes widened with soft blue threads suddenly appeared all around her body and two threads wrapped tightly around her middle fingers. She yelped when her cloths vanished and she was suddenly wearing a regal dress that reached only the middle of her thighs and long sleeves that didn't cover her arms but were attached to her middle finger by a thick thread. A silver circlet had somehow found its way onto Hitomi's head, a single topaz stone dangling on her forehead. A shimmering staff with differently colored feathers moved with the breeze.  
  
"Hitomi?" Yukari whispered in shock.  
  
Everyone yelped in surprise when Hitomi threw back her head. And screamed.  
  
Wings sprouted from her back, dripping with blood as her entire body tensed with agony before she slumped forward, bloody feathers falling to the ground and shimmering as if they were diamonds. Yukari had no idea that she had just witnessed the birth of the most powerful High Priestess of Atlantis to have ever lived.  
  
Author's Note: Well, I don't think it was very nice of me to keep this chapter from you guys for so long. Anyway, I hope everyone likes the story so far. I'll try writing another chapter since I feel so inspired right now. Review please! 


	5. The New Fiancee

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The New Fiancée  
  
***Atlantis***  
  
I couldn't believe it. The king was going to come see me for seemingly no reason at all. No matter how hard I tried to suppress my euphoria at the thought of seeing him again I knew that there had to be a very important reason behind the visit. One did not just decide to visit the High Priestess of Atlantis unless one wanted to speak of something of great importance. One did not simply decide to pay a friendly visit to me. The king, I reminded myself painfully, had stopped coming to see me after he finished his studies. I seemed to have completely slipped his mind.  
  
I prepared myself on the cushion I always sat on and shifted my staff so that he would be able to sit beside me as he had when we had been younger instead of having to sit in front of me five feet away as all of the other people that came to see me did. Just as I was starting to worry that he might have forgotten, the new king stepped into my temple and came towards me, smiling happily. I smiled at him and shifted in my seat, trying to get a better look at him.  
  
He had grown taller since the last time I had seen him. Even though he had been king for a year, I could still see the little prince that had been my companion for so long while we were growing older. His raven hair still constantly fell into his eyes so that he huffed every time he had to push it back. He was still a bit scrawny even though he was obviously stronger than he looked. Wearing his dark brown ridding gloves, a scarlet poet's shirt and tan pants, he could have passed himself off as a commoner. That was something that I truly loved about my king: he managed to be a spectacular ruler because of his simple lifestyle and yet he was every inch a king.  
  
"My lady Priestess," the king began as he always did, "I'm glad to see you are in good health." He bowed his forehead to the ground before taking the seat I had set up for him. I smiled happily at him and rested my palm on the crown of his head for a moment.  
  
"As am I that your health is excellent Your Majesty," he smiled that smile that made my insides melt before he seemed to darken. "Is something the matter my king?" His head jerked up at my concern and just smiled wider.  
  
"I've brought good news." He said, sitting back on his palms comfortably. His muscles rippled under his cloths and I suddenly felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. Why was I embarrassed in front of my king? I had never felt this strange sensation in the pit of my stomach before. I would have to meditate on the feelings later.  
  
"That's wonderful! What is it?" The king tilted his head and a teasing smile graced his features. I felt myself blushing again. Damn this infernal blush!  
  
"Haven't you seen it already? You can look into the future can't you?" He even tickled me exactly where he always had. I was very ticklish. I began to squirm and giggle in the exact way that the High Priestess of Atlantis should NOT squirm and giggle. In a way, I was meant to act like a princess: regal, quiet, completely mature and very intelligent. Here I was, on my back, giggling hysterically as the king, who was ALSO meant to act the way I was, loomed over me attacking my sides.  
  
"I-I ca-can't see the f-future like that!" I finally managed to gasp out between breathes. The king placed his hands on either side of my head as he grinned adorably, panting slightly from having tickled me so much. I found myself in quite an awkward position since he was practically on top of me, so close I could feel his breathe of my lips. I suddenly had the urge to lean up and kiss him . . . .  
  
"Then I'll tell you. I've decided to marry Lady Celena Schezar of the Schezar family." It took a moment for what he said to sink in. When it did, I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach and my face turned completely white. This seemed to have the desired effect because he seemed to be smiling smugly now instead of hopefully. That was odd considering the fact that he must have wanted to know if I approved. Instead, the look on his face almost suggested that he WANTED me to be shocked and sad that he was going to marry . . . .  
  
But no, why would my king do such a terrible thing? No, it was more likely I was just trying to fool myself. He kept waiting for me to speak so I attempted to collect my thoughts. This was still VERY hard considering he had just dropped a house on my head and was still almost lying on top of me.  
  
"She is . . . a woman of esteemed status. Her family has taught her incredible discipline and she is . . . loyal to her king." I couldn't look at him as I began rattling off different kinds of information concerning her. I think I even mentioned some of her dreams and wishes. A priestess could NEVER talk about the wishes of other people but I didn't really care. My king was special. But he was going off to marry a brat who wanted only earthly treasures and would not satisfy him. I knew this, but I didn't have the heart to tell him. He seemed so happy when I described her.  
  
"So you believe my decision was a sound one?" He asked, eyes seeming to glow from within. I felt the urge to kiss him overwhelm me again so I just bit my lip and nodded. I didn't dare open my mouth for fear that I would scream out "She's not right for you, please don't marry her!" so loud that he might leap back with the sheer volume. "Thank you priestess!" He said excitedly as he leaned down to kiss my cheek before standing and leaving my temple.  
  
I remained where I was for a long moment, gently touching my cheek where he had kissed me. I had felt so much warmth from his body, his breathe against my lips, his eyes staring down at me with such much happiness, I realized that there really WAS no way I could have told him. I couldn't tell him how much of a spoiled brat she was or the fact that she wished incessantly for her brother's love, Allen Schezar. She had been devastatingly infatuated for her brother all her life and she was merely trying to get his attention by getting married. Of course, Allen had a secret desire in the core of his soul, a desire he himself was not aware of: he also wanted his sister as badly as she wanted him. He, however, never allowed himself to think of Celena in any way other than just his sister for fear of what he might do to her. Touching my cheek as I sat up, I scowled when I remembered how I had acted minutes ago.  
  
Why had I behaved so foolishly? He was my KING! He was supposed to get married! And why had I wanted him to touch me? To kiss me? I was the High Priestess, not a whore! I had to remain pure for appearance's sake! But he had been so warm . . . he had smelled so good: like a meadow with the hint of the wind. I felt as if I could stare into his beautiful eyes and just loose myself.  
  
Shaking my head, I sighed deeply. This was no way to think about the king. After all, he was going to get married. I had to return to reality and get ready for the ceremony to come. I just hoped the little bitch treated him right.  
  
Author's Note: *blushes* everyone must thank strangenights2000@yahoo.com! if not for her this chapter wouldn't be here! So all of you must bow down to her because I was planning on spending today fixing my English essay but she reminded me that there were people still waiting for this chapter. So thanks go to her and all the other wonderful reviews that were waiting so patiently for this chapter. 


	6. The Old Prophecy

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The Old Prophecy  
  
***Freid***  
  
Chid entered the holy temple where the most skilled monks were so deeply entranced that they seemed to be sleeping in a sitting position. The young Duke carefully looked to the center of the room where there was a pile of energists piled in such a way that the two skulls at the top resonated with the well of power beneath them. Now that he was watching them, the skulls also seemed to be glowing with each soft chant of the monks around him. Only one monk whispered each mantra every few moments, so softly that the words were scattered around the room like a breeze.  
  
"Duke Chid," the soft voice of the High Monk whispered behind him. Chid whirled around and nearly fell over, shocked out of his thoughts by the soft voice. Composing himself, Chid looked to the tall, thin monk with the typical green symbol on his forehead, the beads in his hands rattling soothingly as he moved closer and bowed. "The ceremony is nearly complete."  
  
"What ceremony? I was told by a messenger that there was some kind of divine ritual taking place as a result of the unnatural glow around the Mystic Moon. What is this ceremony for?" The monk nodded respectfully to Chid once before bowing low to the skulls and twisted his wrist in a symbol of respect before turning back to the young Duke.  
  
"The larger skull belongs to the last king of Atlantis." The monk said softly, watching as the next monk began the mantra. "And the smaller belongs to the last priestess of Atlantis . . . the woman that brought about its end with nothing but her own will." Chid stood frozen where he was, eyes wide. He hadn't even known that Atlantis HAD a king before it was destroyed!  
  
"Why are they here?" Chid found himself asking curiously. The monk smiled faintly at the child-like curiosity in the young duke's voice.  
  
"When the priestess created Gaea, she and the king were transported to this spot, Freid. That is why the secrets of Atlantis were placed here. Later, the other Draconians moved their people to the Mystic Valley as their final resting place after the deaths of the king and priestess." Chid glanced back at the monk. For some reason, the story reminded him of King Van and Lady Hitomi. Somehow . . . some quality about the story reminded him of the mysterious girl from the Mystic Moon and the Draconian king of Fanelia.  
  
"So what is this ceremony for?"  
  
"The awakening." The monk said simply before vanishing from the room quietly. Chid stared after him, looking very confused.  
  
"What's the awakening?" He muttered to himself curiously.  
  
***Japan***  
  
Hitomi stared at her wings curiously, shifting her staff so as to support herself. She was currently in the forest behind her school after having escaped the prying eyes of her classmates. After all, it wasn't every day that a girl you always thought of as normal up and grew wings and materialized a staff out of thin air for no real reason. Yukari and Amano were fusing over her, not daring to touch her wings but making sure that she was alright and wouldn't be fainting on them or anything. They kept asking her: was she alright, what the HELL was going on, why did she had wings and why was she dressed so strangely?  
  
Personally, Hitomi was too immersed in her own thoughts and feelings to really think about how strange she must have looked to them. True, she now had wings (as beautiful as Van's, she reminded herself), but somehow she felt stronger now. She felt more complete, as if the last piece of a puzzle had been finally put into its correct place. And something else . . . she felt light-headed. Almost as if she was floating . . . .  
  
"Hitomi! You're floating!" Yukari shrieked, pointing at the floor in horror. Surprised that someone had just mimicked her thoughts, Hitomi looked down. Indeed, she WAS floating, her feet dangling about a foot off the ground. What was really bothering her (the floating thing didn't bother her, surprisingly) was that white light was forming under her feet; light that was suspiciously like the begins of the beam of light that always took her to Gaea.  
  
"Hitomi!" Amano shouted, grabbing her arm. She looked at him, surprised by the panic in his eyes. She felt his hand on her arm and the feeling was alien, almost an invasion of her personal space. When she normally would have known that Amano's arm was just friendly concern, she now felt invaded and slightly angry. She shook him off and glared at him. When Amano and Yukari both looked at her with the same surprised hurt look, she softened her expression.  
  
"What is it Amano?" Both Yukari and Amano looked at her strangely. They seemed to be getting farther and farther away the longer that Hitomi looked at them. What was going on? And why was she so calm about it? Even she didn't understand why floating in midair with light forming around her feet wasn't scaring her.  
  
"Hitomi? What language was that you just spoke?" Yukari asked curiously, looking at Hitomi's feet worriedly. Floating was something he had never imagined Hitomi capable of. Though Yukari HAD to admit, her best friend looked . . . as an angel.  
  
"What are you talking about Yukari? Don't you understand me?"  
  
"Hitomi, what are you saying? Stop it, that's scary! You're talking just like that guy did right before you two vanished in that beam of light!" Hitomi's eyes widened. She was talking in the same language as Van? But how could that be? What was going on? And why wasn't she even CONFUSED about it?  
  
"Yukari, I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on." She said helplessly, noticing that Amano really wasn't as tall as she had thought he was. And the ceiling suddenly seemed closer . . . .  
  
"Hitomi, what are you doing?!" Trying to grab onto her, Yukari encountered nothing but light. Hitomi was vanishing like a dream, as if she had never been. The moment that she completely vanished, Yukari and Amano looked at each other in confusion.  
  
The next day, neither Yukari nor anyone else on the Earth remembered that there had ever been a Hitomi Kanzaki.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that reviewed! Sorry for the delay. Also, if you will look back at the other chapters briefly, I've changed the very top to show WHERE the chapter takes place. When the top says "Atlantis" than this means that the chapter takes place a little before the destruction of Atlantis. This means before Van and Hitomi were born. The king mentioned there is the king of Atlantis and the first-person point of view is from the High Priestess OF Atlantis. I hope this clears up some questions. There are two story lines going on at the same time. 


	7. The New Obstacle

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The New Obstacle  
  
***Atlantis***  
  
I paced. I paced and I paced and I paced until even the guards were shifting nervously from foot to foot. I knew that the priestess wasn't meant to pace. I was meant to be calm and collected at all times, especially during important occasions. But this wasn't even all that important, I was simply meeting the Queen-to-be, the bitch Celena Schezar. News had spread all over Atlantis that the King had his eye on Lady Schezar of the House of Schezar. The Council of Elders was extremely pleased and surprised with the young King's new and much-anticipated decision. After all, this was one less problem that the Elders had to deal with. Now there would be an heir to the throne, the King would become more responsible and less likely to take random flying episodes when he should have been doing something important.  
  
They had no idea, however, why there were small storm clouds all around Atlantis or why the tide had lifted slightly. These were meant to be regulated by the priestess, me, who was more agitated as of late. Had I received some terrible vision of the future? Why was I suddenly so shifty, so hard to speak to, so distant WHEN being spoken to? I could hear their thoughts, crashing into my mind, suffocating me and making me even more agitated.  
  
"Please Priestess, calm yourself. The King will be fine." One of the guards finally said, looking intensely embarrassed when I turned to glare at him intensely. My expression softened and I took a deep breathe before sitting down, an air of calm smoothing out the rigid restlessness that had encompassed me moments ago. The guards weren't entirely sure if this was another act or if I was seriously calm now. Their Priestess was a terrifyingly convincing liar.  
  
"His Highness has arrived." Another guard said stiffly as he opened the large oak door to reveal the King in a lip-lock with Lady Celena. He had one arm tightly wrapped around her waist and his other hand buried in her hair. She had her back arched slightly, her tongue shoved into his mouth and her hands under his shirt.  
  
My mouth dropped open and I stared at them for a long time before I could compose myself. My face turned completely red when I snuck a glance at them again, and I trembled with anger, pinpricks of red pain shot through my mind and behind my eyes. I was going to kill her. I was going to KILL HER! The King pulled away slowly and turned to smile brightly at me, momentarily surprised by the murderous rage plainly exposed on my face.  
  
"Lady Priestess? Are you alright?" Blood pounded in my ears, making me sick with fury. I needed to get out. I felt trapped. I felt threatened. I felt MURDEROUS. I need to get OUT OF THE ROOM! Standing up, nodding curtly to them, I quickly exited to the room and hurried towards the washing rooms. I immediately vomited into a water basin, my insides heaving with disgust and horror. That kiss, no, it had, it blinded me, I kept seeing it behind my clenched eyelids. I wanted to kill her, I wanted her dead, I wanted her to die a horrible, HORRIBLE death!  
  
Taking deep, calming breathes, I turned my face up to stare at my reflection in the looking glass. Hair slightly disheveled, pale as milk, I knew I couldn't leave the wash room looking as if I had just seen a dead body. Quickly stripping off my robes and pressing my staff against the opposite wall, I slipped into the waiting hot pools. This was the wash room of the servants and the slaves, I could tell from the dim lighting and the grubby, rough towels. I didn't mind. When I had been a child, I refused to bath in any other kind of wash room. I preferred this down-to-earth room to my celestial bathroom with a much large bath, towels of the finest material and the lathers used to make my hair sparkle.  
  
The bubbling, mineral water soothed my pounding headache and I relaxed into the water, tilting my head back slightly to wet my hair. Sitting up again, I twisted slightly to wash my wings, running my fingers through my feathers. This had always soothed me. I needed to be soothed. I had nearly allowed a tidal wave to crash into the watch tower at the north of Atlantis, I couldn't allow my control to slip. I heard a soft sound from the direction of the door and quickly pulled my wings around my body.  
  
Lady Celena, wrapped in the arms of MY king, watched me curiously from the safety of his embrace. I felt my face turn red at the expression on his face; that glazed look as he stared from my bare back to the curve of my hip. Pulling my wings tighter around my body to obscure his view, my eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"I am ill today, I require rest." I said, veiling my anger. Slowly, I was starting to redirect my anger to the King. He had done this. It was HIS fault. First he tempted me with tickling me several months earlier and now he wanted me to approve of his fiancé! I tried to shift to the other side of the pool.  
  
"Lady Priestess, I am sorry to have caught you in the middle of your illness." The King said as his head guiltly snapped up to stare at my face. He looked genuinely upset about my reaction and he loosened his grip on Celena's waist. Damned bitch, why was she SMIRKING at me like that? I didn't want to hear her thoughts! I didn't want to see those stolen kisses they had shared when he had begun his courtship.  
  
"Leave now." I said sharply. Then, as an afterthought, I coughed lightly into my hand. "Before I give you my illness." Celena started towards the door, expecting for the King to follow her.  
  
"Go ahead of me, my dear. I wish to have a word with the Lady Priestess." The King said, his eyes narrowing slightly. Try as I might, I couldn't read his thoughts. But that expression, the anger he was radiating and the way he glared at Celena when she was about to protest, I had an idea of what he was going to do.  
  
When Celena had left, the King turned to scowl at me darkly. "You're not sick. You're never sick." He said, crossing his arms defiantely. He only stood like that when he was going to be stubborn. I narrowed my eyes, relaxing my wings slightly.  
  
"Yes I am. Look in the water basin if you don't believe me." I said snappishly. He didn't move or even lift his gaze to look at the water basin. He kept staring at me with that horrible expression on his face.  
  
"Why are you acting like this Priestess? You approved of my marriage before. Why are you angry now?"  
  
"I am NOT angry!" I said indigently, leaning away from him. "I am ill! When one is ill, others should understand that they require rest and privacy!"  
  
"You're lying." He said stubbornly, baring his teeth. True, I was surprised that he was ALSO angry at me but I kept my expression neutral.  
  
"I am not."  
  
"Yes you ARE! I saw the expression on your face when you saw me kissing her!" He said angrily, his fists trembling slightly.  
  
"I was NOT angry, I felt sick." I said, my voice making the words come out scathingly, much harsher then I had intended. I was turning red again. I blamed it on the bubbling water, it was making me angry. Yes, that was it. And he was being completely unreasonable!  
  
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" He leapt into the water, ignoring the fact that he became soaked as he grabbed my arm in a steely grasp. My eyes widened in shock and I tried to wrench my arm away from him but he grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard. "DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME PRIESTESS! DON'T YOU DARE!" I continued staring at him, my wings flailing to keep my balance. He stopped and stared down at something, his mouth falling open. At first I thought he had seen the scar I'd received from a particularly violent attack a few years ago but he was looking a bit above my stomach. At my breasts.  
  
It was at that moment that I remembered my state of undress and turned completely red. He continued staring, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. His eyes traveled lower to stare at my hips and my legs, eyes widening farther. A deep red blush colored his tanned cheeks. I tried weakly to pull away from him and slide my wings across my body to hide his view, my face turning red with embarrassment and shame. No doubt he was comparing me to Celena mentally. I knew she was more beautiful then me, he didn't have to look at me like that.  
  
"Priestess." He whispered, pushing my wings aside for a moment before he lifted his eyes to stare into my own. There was something . . . a hungry look . . . but why was he looking at me like that?  
  
"Y-Your Majesty, w-wait!" I said, trying to struggle against his hold. He had to stop staring at me! He had to stop STARING at me! My thoughts seemed to wake him up because he jerked away and quickly jerked himself out of the hot pools, his cloths soaked. I quickly pulled my wings tightly around my body, my face still red with embarrassment.  
  
"S-Sorry, I hope you feel better Priestess." He bowed jerkily, avoiding looking at her as he quickly hurried out of the wash room. I stared after him, rubbing my shoulders where he had bruised me with his grip. I quickly sank into the water, feeling miserable and somehow dirty. He had stared at me like that as if I was the palace whore. He would never trust me again.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that reviewed! Sorry for the BIG delay, lots of stuff plus another story was getting in the way. Thank you to everyone who's stayed during my extended break. Also, Happy Turkey Day! 


	8. The Old History

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The Old History  
  
***Gaea***  
  
"And so, your Majesty, we thought it best that you look over these documents of the men's labor unit at the south of the city to see if their payment is to your liking. We also hope that you will consider our proposal of a ball, you truly require a Queen and heir, it will not do for you to die and leave no one to take your place." Van wasn't really paying attention to his advisors, especially the bushy-browed, stout little advisor that had been rambling on about something or other. There was no reason to, they always babbled to each other knowingly, but when the decision had to be made, Van was extremely firm. He was King and that was that. He would not allow a bunch of old farts run the country that HE had risked his life for over and over again to rebuild. Really, there was no reason to keep them around. Van had simply decided they would all die of a heart attack if he told them to get out of his castle.  
  
"Your Majesty?" One of the advisors sighed and rubbed his temples, looking as if he was putting up with an age-old ailment. "Your Majesty, are you paying attention?" Van slowly looked up at him and managed a sheepish grin.  
  
"Forgive me, I'm not myself today. I'm afraid this will have to be dealt with at another time. Only, that sum is far too small, those men rebuilt our CITY. Increase the sum." He grabbed his cloak and wrapped it around his shoulders, starting out the door.  
  
"B-But Your Majesty!" One of the advisors protested, leaping to his feet. His wild white hair made him look a bit mad, and his waving around the bill made him seem even more so. His finely adorned cloths billowed and nearly made him trip as he hurried after Van.  
  
"There's no use is attempting to override my decision. I am king, and you are NOT." The advisors promptly grew quiet and waited until he was out of the room before they began to mutter to each other incredulously.  
  
Van gladly left the palace, riding his horse away from the city itself to the very edge of his borders. His land was fertile, the people were content, there were no wars; basically there were no problems. So why was Van feeling a strange sense of déjà vu? Something was coming, he didn't know WHAT it was but it was coming. He was SURE of it! The chanting he heard in his dreams, the woman that he saw that reminded him so much of Hitomi but who couldn't possibly be her. This woman had wings, she was definitely a Draconian and Hitomi obviously was not.  
  
"Though she would look ravishing with wings." A part of his mind told him.  
  
"She looks ravishing anyway." Another part of his mind pointed out wisely.  
  
Van began to blush just thinking about Hitomi and, try as he might, he couldn't get her off his mind. She had the most adorable face, a face that made him want to kiss her when she pouted or smiled. She was so beautiful when she was angry . . . . And her boyish haircut that had annoyed him at first but, now that he thought about it, gave him a clearer view of that milky throat of hers. Her long, lithe body, toned with subtle muscles. Those long, luscious legs. The way her hips twisted slightly when she pivoted to yell at him. Or how she came up right in his face when she was trying to get him to listen to her side of a story. Or her lips, how they captivated him when she spoke.  
  
Shaking his head quickly to dispel these thoughts, Van hurriedly raced farther down the path. He needed speed; he needed to reach a plane where he couldn't think anymore. Where he couldn't think about HER.  
  
Unfortunately, it didn't seem that the horse was fast enough. He kept thinking about how fast Hitomi ran, how she had even out-paced him a few times while running. The way her hair whipped back out of her face, the wind tugging at her cloths uselessly, the way her legs moved when she was running so fast, it was almost as if she was flying!  
  
Suddenly Van felt HIMSELF flying, his wings gently brushing the winds as if they were real, something to hold, something to cradle in his arms. then the light appeared in the sky! Was this his imagination? What was going on!  
  
Then he felt something soft brush against his arms and his wings. He was holding something, someone, so tightly. So tightly that he felt her shivering, felt her face pressing against his chest. Van looked down and his eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, I completely forgot about this story! And sorry for how short it is, I wanted to get the chapter out sooner. 


	9. The New Bride

Title: The Destruction of Atlantis  
  
Chapter: The New Bride  
  
***Atlantis***  
  
The Prince... no, the KING of Atlantis walked down the corridors of his palace feeling euphoric and powerful. He was finally King though at the sacrifice of his own parents. He would have to make them proud, which was why he had chosen a bride so quickly. As he was thinking of whom to choose, he contemplated asking the Priestess who was best suited to be Queen but then he thought better of it. She had other duties to attend to, much more important ones than choosing a bride for him. He instead opted to find his own bride and then ask her if that bride was suited for the position.  
  
He hadn't expected to start liking Lady Celena of the Schezar family. They had met a couple of times at various banquets (including the King's fifth birthday). She had been a snotty brat who threw beads into the King's soup and tried to trip him when he'd gone to collect his presents. After so much time she had grown into a beautiful woman who did not throw beads into anyone's soup and who did not trip anyone when they went to collect his or her presents. She was a bit shorter than he remembered (they had been the same height the last time Van saw her) but she was voluptuous and beautiful.  
  
Not down-to-earth beauty like the Priestess, but rather the kind of beauty that could not be attained without the use of rouge and lipstick. Her hair was always beautifully styled, her skin wrinkleless and smooth from butter milk baths, her fingers always clean and carefully cut to perfection, her eyes framed by little crystals that were pasted in that specific place so that those same eyes appeared to be larger than they really were. And her dresses were, of course, the highest material. She usually wore either velvet or silk with either expensive beads, precious gems or pearls embedded into her dress. Van secretly didn't very much like the amount of wealth she was portraying through her dress but she made up for it in the dainty way she moved her body and that soft little laugh she always hid behind her velvet or silk glove.  
  
Van had reached the courtyard of his castle where all kinds of flowers were being grown. He smiled at all of the red roses he had ordered to be planted to commemorate his fiancé and their upcoming wedding. She had made a delighted giggling sound when he had asked her to be his wife and he couldn't help suppressing a shudder when he went to tell the Priestess of this. The shudder surprised him though. He couldn't understand why telling the Priestess about his upcoming wedding was making him so excited.  
  
So far he had managed to get on top of the Priestess and to see her naked.  
  
Now he would lie awake staring at the ceiling and repeating those images over and over in his head, those beautiful aspects of her body that he had never imagined existed. He attributed all of this nervous energy to cold feet. After all, he was only going to get married once. Only if the Queen died would he be permitted to marry another. Why he was thinking this, he didn't know. Why was he thinking about Celena dying? Why? He WOULD ask the Priestess if he wasn't so angry with her. And if he didn't feel so embarrassed about the washroom incident.  
  
He knew now that she had in fact been sick because she had not been able to leave her bed for a week after their confrontation. She refused to look at him anymore, turning her blushing face away every time she saw him. And she saw a lot of him because of the wedding. She was the Priestess therefore she had to plan out all of the ceremonial parts and both the King and Celena were forced to be witness.  
  
What he hated most were the fights between the Priestess and Celena.  
  
Every day they would meet in the palace gardens (where the wedding was to take place) and the Priestess would quietly (head bowed) explain that she would have to say a spell over their heads at one point to ensure prosperity in their rule. Or perhaps the spell was for bearing healthy children. Or perhaps the spell would ensure that neither of them would be harmed if someone tried to kidnap one of them. For each one Celena was quick to argue, making the Priestess, the calmest person that the King had ever met, red with fury. They would argue until they were both ugly with hate.  
  
The spell of prosperity was vital to a healthy kingdom. But shouldn't wealth also be included in the spell? Did the Priestess want them to be working to have a prosperous kingdom where only the people benefited and the bourgeois received nothing for their pains? The spell for healthy children was also important. But shouldn't the spell ensure that the children would be male? There had to be a strong ruler for the throne. Did the Priestess want to curse her with a womb that only produced females that were healthy? The spell to make sure they were not harmed if kidnapped was important. Oh, so now she was saying that they WOULD be kidnapped? Why not make a spell that made sure they WOULDN'T be kidnapped. What kind of Priestess did she think she was; cursing the nobility with poverty, setting in stone that the Queen would only have weak daughters and prophesizing that one or both members of the royal family would be kidnapped?  
  
The King dared not interfere during these fights for supremacy. He knew better than to get into this and then get nothing but screaming his way for his pains. If he sided with Celena, it was a guaranteed certainty that the Priestess would take it VERY seriously. There had already been reports that the seas were much more violent than usual; sinking ships and destroying a port (none were killed or harmed). If he sided with the Priestess, he would be marrying a bitter wife that would feel neglected. SHE would be Queen; SHE always had to be right. Celena always tried to drag him into the conversation but the Priestess always became icy when she did.  
  
There was no doubt in the King's mind that Celena and the Priestess hated each other. Why, he was not quite certain. He would have to think on it.  
  
As for his own feelings towards the Priestess, he found her rude and arrogant, but only to Celena. With everyone else she was a sweet, quiet woman that helped others and never raised her voice. To him, she was mute. She was defiant. She was bitter.  
  
And for the life of him he couldn't understand why. Women, he didn't think any man could truly understand them. So to take his mind off of his "cold feet" symptoms and the fights that his fiancé and the Priestess had, Van buried himself in his work. He even went so far as to avoid his future wife because he was starting to realize that every time he was around her, he wished for her death. He just wanted things to be the way they had been before, when the Priestess was comfortable in his presence and when the weather did not betray the anger she had welled up inside her. He knew of anger, his temper was infamous. But the Priestess had far more at stake if she lost her temper. She had the lives of all those living in Atlantis.  
  
Author's Note: thank you to everyone who reviewed and didn't review. Also, sorry for the delay but since some people were wondering what the King thought of all of this I thought I'd dedicate a chapter to him. 


	10. Author's Note

Author's Note: This story has been and will continue to be on hiatus for a while. I am sorry to the fans who still want to follow the stories but I have some great news about my professional writing career. I wanted to let everyone know that I have recently finished my first original fiction novel and I am currently in the publication mode. For more information on this, please look at my profile and also go to my new website at to find out about **Skull Juggler: Disenchanted**** by Natalia Locatelli** (that's me), the first book in my four book series. As of today I have an amazing cover and I will be sending my manuscript (the book in a word document) to be formatted for a book in the next week or so.

As I have posted for Vocare Prabia, my most popular Harry Potter story, I will be uploading this book as an ebook as well as a softcover book to Amazon in the coming months (for those who are curious, I am self publishing for now) and it will be available soon, at which point I'll let you guys know it's up. Also, although the book will be available at that time, I suggest that those who want to buy it wait for my special launch day (which I will tell you of when the time comes closer). During this special launch day, if you buy the book you will also get all kinds of free goodies to go along with it! So as I said, if you can stand it, wait until the launch day to buy it if you decide you want it. I apologize to those who are not interested in my own novels but I know that some people are my loyal fans and have asked me about my personal work so I thought this was the best method to get my news out.

If you want more information on my publishing process, what I'm doing marketing-wise to get my book off the ground, and just to see what the story is about, go to my homepage at as I said. I'll be blogging about updates and I won't spam here anymore so that those who are not interested don't have to read it. For those who ARE interested, head on over :)

Amber Evans Potter a.k.a. Natalia Locatelli


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